Anodyne – Review

There are names in the game industry that are simply too big to casually throw around. Games that managed to hit so many right notes; they’ve turned into a harsh standard for others in the same genre to be judged by.

The Legend of Zelda is one such a game.

Why this introduction about a completely different game? Because when you play Anodyne, it’s difficult not to think about Nintendo’s take on tomb raiding. A link -excuse the pun- Anodyne is quick to make itself.

Story:

You play as a boy named Young. Young is trapped inside what looks to be the worst case of a bad dream a growing lad could experience.

Not much is said initially about what’s really going on. A nearby sage gives a short introduction, ordering you to kill Briar, the game’s evil overlord.

I won’t go into detail about the rest for the story, since it’s something you should experience yourself. Let’s just say that Anodyne has a dark, brooding mood surrounding its fragmented -most of the plot is revealed by talking to the few characters inhabiting the game- narrative.

Graphics:

16-bit goodness ho! Anodyne looks like a typical game from the SNES era. In fact, it’s easy to compare it to A link to the Past or Link’s Awakening DX -you know the Game Boy Color one.

The color palette that was used, complements the dark undertones of the story by offering a wide range of matte colors. The environment looks as if it’s actually decaying.

There’s great deal of detailed art to be found as well, with memorable characters, enemies and bosses. It’s another lesson that seems to have been learned from the two-dimensional Zelda classics of old.

Sound:

Yet another thing that adds to the brooding mood. Music in Anodyne is delightfully creepy; evidently giving you the feeling something is off about the entire adventure.

Gameplay:

What matters most in Anodyne is exploring every nook and cranny of the world. The game starts in a hub that offers portals to the various other areas. Initially only one door active, the more doors you find, the easier it is to backtrack once you find keys and upgrades for your weapons.

Sounds familiar? Good, because once again the comparison to Zelda can be made. It might sound cliché by now, but there’s no mistaking Anodyne’s inspiration.

Things are different of course. Instead of a sword, Young wields a broomstick, because why not. Bow-wielding skeletons got replaced by frogs shooting magic bubbles and Young will be damned if he’s ever able to push a single stone that looks as if it should fit a nearby pattern of rocks.

Other than that, Anodyne’s gameplay isn’t all that different from Nintendo’s -arguably- greatest series.

There’re dungeons to explore, keys and heart health-upgrades to collect and secrets tp be found.

The only gripes I have with this otherwise impeccable game are some control issues. Anodyne uses the keyboard. You can use a controller, but this lacks precision. There’s nothing wrong with using a keyboard of course, but the moment you have to maneuver around some of the games more intricate mazes -or god forbid, jump over a chasm- you’re you’ll mostly find yourself lost in chaos.

Conclusion:

A darker take on the 16-bit Zelda games, Anodyne offers great gameplay, a large world to explore and a story that manages to explain itself not through words, but by interacting with the world.

Anyone looking for an atmospheric game, will find a nostalgia-filled adventure that’s absolutely worth playing.

Gromple

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